Abstract - Raving Online

Raving Online

Since the early days of the existence of the Internet people have been using it to communicate with others who shared similar interests, often in very niche areas. The rave scene and the internet both progressively became popular in the early 90s. Raves were primarily attended by young people, people which were more likely to have access to the Internet via educational institutions like universities and colleges. Therefore it is particularly appropriate to look at how the internet facilitated communication between rave participants. I intend to create a website which will look at ways in which the internet can allow for people interested in a specific topic to communicate. It will explore the unique communication opportunities the internet provides for individuals with similar interests. There is much information about how the internet can facilitate communication between individuals interested in a specific subject even if that subject is not widely popular. With this information I will then look at how the rave participants used the internet to communicate and facilitate the growth of the rave scene. Examples from newsgroups, email list-servers and websites will be included in my website.